Being a professional hacker for a US gov entity - I can tell you that this only erases the person doing this - their access to their data.
[The website gives you an option to expunge your DNA results through its settings menu, and all you’ll need to do it is your Ancestry.com username and password.]
Once done, the file does not reside on the server where it is located. I can tell you from personal experience that it still does in an off-site backup location.
Those files marked for deletion will in fact be deleted from the front-end web server and inaccessible by others looking for that information. The kicker is, when one had already signed a form to store their data on one of these sites - it is stored permanently. The TRACE BACK to other known relatives and all the other “fascinating things” these sites do to link people together - has those DNA records stored and itemized throughout the system.
The file path from the original owner of that data may be erased - but it can still be found. It’s a matter of how one retrieves it. Once it is downloaded and backups are created - it’s game over. The idea that those records are erased by clicking a button is just not realistic.
I find stuff all the time on people — stuff that should not have existed in the 1st place.
...just saying ...
Pretty much what I was thinking.
I’ve never believed that once you supposedly delete your data on any of these services that it’s actually gone.
Everyone who believes that Google truly deletes your data when you tell it to, raise your hand. And then slap yourself, because you’re an idiot.
Very interesting... Thanks.
The question is which hat do you wear white or black? ;-)